Yesterday I wrote that Cris Carter may become the voice of reason in the concussion debate. It would seem that one of the antagonists to reason and logic may be Osi Umenyiora who voiced his agreement with Kurt Warner about concerns over health concerns resulting from repeated hits to the head. Umenyiora didn't stop there. He also said that he thought he may end up in a wheel chair on his Twitter account.

By the Way, Kurt Warner is Right to think how he is thinking about his kids and football.

— Osi Umenyiora (@OsiUmenyiora) May 8, 2012

Its an awesome game and has done a lot for me, but i know when im 45 there is a strong chance il be in a wheelchair.

— Osi Umenyiora (@OsiUmenyiora) May 8, 2012

To say that Umenyiora's comments are likely to be off base would be an understatement. He was trying to make a point with those comments, but they don't add any helpful commentary to the debate.

Despite the exaggerated outlook displayed by Umenyiora, his message is still a pointed one. There's a perception that players have no hope at leading a normal life after football, and that's simply not true. Players, team doctors, coaches, and even the owners are more conscious than ever about the risks of head injuries, and the owners are currently going the extra mile to ensure that players on the field are as safe as possible. Yes, there's the possibility that Umenyiora may find himself in a wheelchair when he's 45 years old, but I wouldn't call that possibility a "strong chance" in any way shape or form.

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Late last night, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a stadium bill that would keep the Vikings in Minnesota, and it would give them a brand new stadium.

But, there's a catch.

The bill passed by the Minnesota House of Representatives was amended to add $105 million to the Vikings' bill. It's a big chunk of money, and Lester Bagley, Vikings V.P. of Public Affairs and Stadium Development, believes the plan isn't practical. Bagley told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, "That particular amendment is not workable. I don’t want to take away from the moment."

It should be noted here that this is not necessarily the final version of the bill. The Minnesota Senate must still pass their version of the stadium bill. That version still has the Vikings paying $427 million instead of the amended $532 million. If the Senate passes the bill without amending it to exactly reflect the House's version, the two bills will have to be reconciled in committee.

Since the Vikings publicly said there would be no next year in terms of pushing for a new stadium, the Minnesota legislature has shown considerable urgency in pushing to find a middle ground that the Vikings and the state can both agree on. That being said, amending the original bill, specifically adding $105 million to the Vikings side, is a dangerous game of chicken. Here's the kicker. The Vikings have all the leverage in this situation. They know there are other markets that would love to add an NFL team, and the Vikings have the option of simply standing firm at $427 million. It's important to note that just because a uniform bill is passed by the legislature  doesn't necessarily mean the Vikings must abide by it or agree to it. Essentially the bill is a formal commitment on the state's part, not the Vikings'.

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As was expected, the Patriots announced the retirement of long-time left tackle Matt Light earlier today.

While Light is only 33, not old by NFL standards, he's walking away from the game for noble reasons, saying,

"I’ve got a daughter that’s 10 and I’ve got two boys that are knuckleheads. They need a lot of guidance and a lot more time.  One of these things that was apparent over the last few seasons was it takes a lot longer to recover the older you get.  It took a lot to give more than a hug and a ‘Good morning’ to my family."

Light spent all 11 of his seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots serving as an anchor for Tom Brady's blindside. In those 11 seasons, Light started 153 games, missing only 23 regular season starts in that span.

Matt Light, along with many other linemen, helped the Patriots rise to prominence in the early part of the 2000s. While it's true that he's not extremely old by NFL standards, it's also true that he's experienced great health throughout his career. The 2005 season was the only year that he missed a large portion of the season. He'll be missed by the Patriots; there's no doubt about that, but I have to salute a guy for stepping away from the game to preserve his own health and spend more time with his family. Matt Light comes across as a stand-up guy, and he deserves the best of luck in his post-football life.

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Following the death of Junior Seau, the NFL once again finds itself at the middle of a debate that some believe will be the downfall of the National Football League. That debate, of course, is, how liable is the NFL in regard to former players' ongoing struggles following their years in the league?

There has been a number of major figures on both sides of the debate. Some say that the NFL knew about the consequences of repeated concussions and they simply ignored the dangers. Others argue that players understand there are inherent risks for anyone playing professional football.

In the interest of full disclosure of potential biases, I'm a member of the latter group, and apparently, Cris Carter agrees with that viewpoint. During the first part of an Outside the Lines special series, Carter acknowledged that he knew that there were risks he signed up for when he entered the league.

"I can’t blame the NFL for every issue that every former player in the NFL has."

I realize that the NFL may be liable in some manner or another for issues that former players have due to head trauma. That makes perfect sense to me, but even if I didn't know anything about the dangers of concussions and head injuries, I would still be able to acknowledge that repeated hits to the head would probably have detrimental effects to my health down the road.

I tend to be pessimistic about litigation of any kind. During a criminal trial, the state must prove the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to secure a guilty verdict. I tend to employ that method of justice when I make up my own mind about lawsuits involving any form of liability. In this case, I don't believe the NFL was malicious in covering up information. I think the NFL was like most people before the recent developments in the field of concussion research. The owners in the league just didn't know how dangerous concussions could be.

Cris Carter is a well-respected former player. He's a class act, and when he speaks, people listen. His opinion speaks volumes, and I view his recent statements as a sound argument against the notion that the NFL is somehow liable for problems former players are now having due to repeated hits to the head. Concussion research is still an emerging field of study, and we can never know enough about the dangers of repeated head hits. The NFL has become a driving force in this field, and I think Cris Carter's statement above is right on track. The NFL is working to help former players, but that doesn't mean they owe those players millions of dollars. Money doesn't fix depression. Research does.

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From the CFL to 20 million dollars guaranteed.

The Cam Wake another story of what we love about sports. Cam Wake’s path like many other NFL stars wasn’t so easy. Despite now being an elite pass rusher in the NFL, there was a point in his career where he couldn’t even land on an NFL roster.

After dominating in the CFL 2 years being the defensive player of the year both seasons he played in Canada, Cam Wake was given a shot by the Dolphins. On a very modest contract, Wake proved he could play with the leagues best becoming one of the best pass rushers in the game today.

2 years later in the NFL, Cameron Wake signed a 4 year contract extension for 49 millions dollars, 20 of which are guaranteed. The deal keeps him in Aqua and Orange until 2017.

The deal not only locks up Wake but also allows the Dolphins to switch their focus to Jake Long. If the Dolphins fail to sign Long to the extension they are now left with the options of slapping a franchise tag on him, giving the team more flexibility.

In Wake’s first year he gathered up 14 sacks and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Trent Cole and Peppers got 12 million a year, Mario just got 16 million per with 50 million guaranteed. With that being said the Dolphins got pretty fair value for Wake.

Last year Wake ranked as one of the top pass rushers in the league per Pro Football Focus. The Dolphins are certainly happy to have their sack master back.

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Gary Anderson was one of the greatest kickers of all time. Anderson played in the NFL from 1982 to 2004, accumulating 2434 points and 538 successful field goals. Now, it seems, his son is trying to follow in his footsteps.

Austin Anderson is a young, 23 years old, the same age Gary Anderson was when he entered the league 30 years ago. Austin Anderson is currently with the Indianapolis Colts, but with Adam Vinatieri still with Indianapolis, it's highly unlikely that the Colts will keep him into the regular season. That's not stopping Anderson from taking advantage of his current situation.

"I'm really excited to be given the opportunity. If it goes well and they like what they see, hopefully I can be invited back for training camp."

Anderson likely understands that he won't be on the Colts' final roster, but anything he can do to shine could pay off in a big way somewhere down the line. NFL teams tend to have very short leashes with kickers that aren't well established. It's completely possible that another starting kicker somewhere around the league could be cut before the start of the regular season, and that's where a guy like Austin Anderson can step in a take the job. Being with the Colts is essentially nothing short of being an extended tryout for Anderson.

I know there are a lot of people that say kickers aren't real football players, but the fact of the matter is that these guys help their teams in a big way. If you don't think Austin Anderson can help the Colts, or any other team for that matter, just look at what his father did. Gary Anderson accounted for 2434 points. That's an average of just over 105 points per season for 23 years. It doesn't take a football expert to realize that kickers can make a big difference, and Austin Anderson certainly has a good pedigree for doing just that.

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Now that the draft is in our rear view mirror, we can begin to imagine which teams will be moving towards a coveted playoff spot in 2012 and which teams will likely be taking a step back. The NFL is a quarterback driven league. It's become one of the great sports cliches of our time, but the gravity of that statement is perfectly real. For a number of young quarterbacks, 2012 could be a make or break season.

Mark Sanchez, Sam Bradford, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, and to a lesser extent, Josh Freeman all face difficult challenges as we approach the beginning of the 2012 season. Mark Sanchez will be on a short leash in the eyes of New York City, if not Rex Ryan. The addition of Tim Tebow does make the Jets a more dynamic offense, there's no denying that, but it also adds far more pressure than is necessary for a player to be pushed towards success. In face, it may add far too much pressure. If that's the case, Tim Tebow must be ready, and the Jets have to be able to adapt to a completely different style if Tebow is called upon to lead them into the playoffs.

Sam Bradford had what many people would call a "sophomore slump," but that doesn't mean he can't bounce back. The Rams lacked weapons in 2011, but they're still committed to Sam Bradford. They're taking an optimistic view of Bradford's performance, as they should, and they're actively making the Rams a better team. To build a team that lasts in the NFL, general managers must be patient in acquiring talent. That seems to be a lesson Les Snead understands. These things take time, and they don't happen overnight. That being said, Sam Bradford can do better in 2012, and he'll need to if he wants to be the Rams' long term solution down the road.

Trick shot videos are always popular on Youtube. Whether you're throwing basketballs, discs, or footballs, they're fun to watch and involve tricks that often defy all logic -- something they have in common with the Buffalo Bills in many instances.

Imagine my delight when I ran across the news that the Bills had invited Division III Monmouth College quarterback Alex Tanney to minicamp. I'm not excited because the Bills are taking a look at a small college guy. I'm excited because this guy could hit a receiver in the back of a moving truck, throwing the ball through a window -- literally.

Obviously, trick shot videos take a huge number of takes to complete, but it's impressive none-the-less that anyone being given any number of takes can make some of the throws in the video above.

It's not likely that Tanney actually sticks in Buffalo and even less likely he ever starts a game for the Bills, but accuracy is the most important facet of being a quarterback in the NFL, and Tanney clearly displays in the video he can make some very impressive throws. The Bills are likely trying to determine if he can make sound decisions on top of those spot on throws. In a league where having a quarterback comes before anything else, you're willing to take them wherever you can find them. Maybe, just maybe, the Bills found one on Youtube.

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These aren't your grandfather's power rankings. What? Your grandfather is afraid of computers? OK, but they aren't your father's power rankings, either. None of this "the Super Bowl champion has to be ranked first throughout the offseason" bullcrap. The beauty of power rankings is that they're meaningless, arbitrary, subjective and not based solely on wins and losses.

And let's face it: the Giants are good, but they only won nine games during the 2011 regular season. They got hot at the right time and won it all. But it's a new year now, and the G-men haven't exactly dominated the offseason. So if I'm going to rank teams based partly on what's happened in March, April and May, there's no way a nine-win team that did little to bolster its roster is going to lead the way -- especially when you consider that only one NFL team has successfully defended its title this century.

Nope. I'm probably going to regret this in t-minus 150 days, but I'm leading with the NFL's most talented team on paper. And honestly, I don't even think it's that close. Does that mean I'm predicting this team will win it all in 2012? No, because too many factors will be emerge between now and next February. But if I had to pick a roster to ride with tomorrow, it'd probably be this one.

1. Philadelphia Eagles: The 2011 offseason champs dramatically improved the defense in both free agency and the draft. And this year, they'll have a full offseason to mesh.

2. Green Bay Packers: Well, they were 15-1 last year....

3. New England Patriots: Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower might immediately improve the defense on a team that won 13 games in 2011.

4. Houston Texans: Cap constraints caused them to incur losses on both sides of the ball, but it's nothing this roster can't handle. And you'd have to think they'll have better luck with health in 2012.

5. San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith is gonna have more weapons. But he's still Alex Smith. We'll see.

6. New York Giants: They had a decent draft, aside from first-rounder David Wilson, but the defending champs lost some quality players in free agency and signed pretty much nobody. Plus, the rest of the NFC East got better.

7. Detroit Lions: Only getting better, but I really wish they brought in some corners to cover guys like Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Brandon Marshall, and whoever the hell plays for Minnesota nowadays.

8. Denver Broncos: If Peyton Manning can stay healthy and Denver's defense can deliver an encore performance, they're the best team in the AFC West.

9. Kansas City Chiefs: People, they made a playoff push last year without Matt Cassel, Jamaal Charles, Tony Moeaki and Eric Berry! Not thrilled with the Dontari Poe pick, but love what they did in free agency with Stanford Routt, Peyton Hillis and Eric Winston.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers: With the Steelers continuing to fall back to the pack, the AFC North will be very wide open in 2012.

11. Baltimore Ravens: I have my doubts about the speed at which Terrell Suggs can return to form.

12. Chicago Bears: Remember the path they were on before injuries derailed them last year? They're healthy now, and they've only gotten better. That said, why do they keep ignoring the offensive line?

13. Dallas Cowboys: The secondary could be a strength now, and the pass rush was never the main problem. Plus, the offense is only going to get better.

14. Atlanta Falcons: Boringest offseason in the league. We saw them lose Curtis Lofton and draft six guys no one's ever heard of. Default favorite in the NFC South, but beware the Panthers.

15. Cincinnati Bengals: A fairly average team had an above average draft and replaced their mediocre running back with an average one in free agency. For that, they're graded as "slightly above average" in my books. Expect them to battle though.

16. Seattle Seahawks: The defense could be great and they've bolstered the offensive line. It all falls on Matt Flynn now.

Kansas City Chiefs: B

The only part of the Chiefs' draft I truly didn't like was their selection of Dontari Poe at 11th overall. Poe was a bit of a wildcard going into the draft, with his draft stock fluctuating wildly between the end of the first round and the top 10. The Chiefs brought in two additional offensive linemen with their 2nd and 3rd round selections, beefing up a unit that looks to be very solid in 2012.

The Chiefs' draft lacked the flash of some of the other teams drafting near the top end, but they got solid value for their picks. While I don't personally like Poe as a top 15 pick, there are a lot of guys out there that think he can be dominant in the NFL. That pick could come to define this year's draft for the Chiefs.

San Diego Chargers: B

Like the Chiefs before them, I penalized the Chargers significantly for their first round pick of Melvin Ingram with the 18th overall pick. Shea McClellin would have been, in my mind, better suited to give the Chargers a pass rusher coming from the linebacking corps instead of as a down lineman.

The Chargers continued their defensive trend, taking DT Kendall Reyes in the 2nd round and SS Brandon Taylor in the 3rd round. Those 3 defensive players at the top of the Chargers' draft class should form the core component of their defense for many years to come. Overall, a solid draft for the Chargers. They definitely didn't waste this year's draft.

Denver Broncos: A-

The Broncos had a stout start to their draft. They brought in DT Derek Wolfe with their first pick (4th pick of the 2nd round), and QB Brock Osweiler followed later in the 2nd round. I love the Osweiler pick, because he'll have plenty of time to study with and around Peyton Manning. Really, there's no better position for a rookie quarterback to be in than studying under Peyton Manning.

Ronnie Hillman, an RB, rounded out the Broncos' first three picks. He's a guy that'll get in the game as a situational runner, and the added depth at RB will be much appreciated by Manning and head coach John Fox. This was one of the most well-rounded draft classes, and the Broncos did a great job in putting it together.

Oakland Raiders: Incomplete

The Raiders get an "incomplete" grade because of their personnel department's failures in the past. The Raiders' first pick came on the 32nd pick of the 3rd round. That's just not the way to build a football team in the NFL, and I don't think it's even fair to the new regime to grade their draft class at all. If the criteria for grading is how many starters/core players they likely produced, they'd get an "F," so we'll just leave them with the incomplete grade. To be fair, they likely picked up a handful of fringe players that could make a difference somewhere down the line, but I think it's safe to say this is the forgotten draft class of Oakland.

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